Notice the Details

Zinnias are in full bloom in my backyard which has grown into a jungle after spending a month away from it! I enjoyed ignoring the overall mess of the garden to focus on these magnificent colours and details for my nature connection practice this afternoon.

It was quite appropriate as I’m just doing a final proof of a nature guidebook in which I wrote:

‘Looking at the small details of nature is one of my most enjoyable nature practices.

Noticing the small details of nature can actually shift our perspective in a big way. Often we are so busy we miss the incredible little interactions happening in nature that are actually the foundation of our lives.

When we are unaware of the details happening on the micro level it’s easy to think that our life in the ‘middle world’ is the only thing that matters.

Getting to know the smaller life forms can help us feel humble, integrated and extends our circle of compassion and oneness.
In comparison to the entire Universe there is no difference between the size of us and a beetle. We are both very small indeed!

If you are somewhere where you have safety to explore, go closer to nature – get on your hands and knees, crouch down, get off your giant human pedestal and shrink small.

Notice insects and fungi, worm casts and new shoots, soil texture and tree roots. Be inquisitive. Imagine what it is like to live as an ant. To take this further you can get a magnifying glass to go even deeper into the micro world. Stay and focus on one small space and make note of all the details you see happening.